I think that this season, the prize goes to spaghetti squash for being our favorite vegetable. It’s the first thing I aim for at the farmer’s market, and always a very special treat at home. And it is not just the faux-pasta quality and lack of guilt-inducing carbs that makes this “spaghetti” dish stand out. The distinctive mellow flavor of the squash blends well with almost anything: the earthiness of truffle oil and mushrooms, the contrasting piquancy of garlic, the herbal outbursts of basil and parsley, and the mild hint of cream. That and, add to it the mild crunchiness of the “spaghetti” strands among the chewy molten mozzarella… There are tons of ways to prepare spaghetti squash–but I admit, this is one of our favorite. Forking out the strings of the squash is also quite fun, plus you get to inhale the very first whispers of the steamy aroma. “Cheesiness” alert: In short, I think we’re falling in love with spaghetti squash…

As our nutrition fact labeling shows below, a serving is incredibly light and a good source for many vitamins and minerals, namley vitamin C, Niacin (vitamin B3), and Manganese:

While it does require a long time to bake the squash itself, the rest of the recipe is quite simple. It was actually inspired by the yummy recipe I first tried from Shutterbean.

(Makes 6 servings) What you need is:

1 Spaghetti squash, halved and seeded

1 clove of garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 handful of fresh basil

1 small onion

1 cup sliced button mushrooms

1/4 cup extra light cooking cream

1 tbsp grated reduced-fat parmesan

1/2 cup grated low-fat mozzarella

2 tbsp rapeseed oil (or non-GMO canola)

1 tsp truffle oil (or truffle-scented olive oil)

Salt and pepper

To prepare:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius (or 356 fahrenheit). Meanwhile, cut the squsah in half, scoop out the seeds, and brush some of the rapeseed oil onto the squash’s surface.

2. Bake the squash for about 50-60 minutes, until it is fully cooked. In the meantime, saute the onions until transparent, and add the mushrooms. Leave or about 3 minutes.

3. Add the crushed garlic clove, the parsley, and the basil to the onion-mushroom mixture.

4. Remove the baked spaghetti squash from the oven, and fork out all the “spaghetti” strands, scooping them out of the shell.

5. Add the squash to the sauteed onion-mushroom-herb mixture, and leave for about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently until they are well-mixed. Sprinkle on the parmesan, truffle oil, salt, and pepper.

6. Put the mixture into an oven casserole, and top it up with the shredded mozzarella.

7. Leave the casserole in the oven until the cheese melts. (Makes 6 servings)

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No World Cup is complete without a cup of cruditees dipped in mineral-rich hummus. An absolute all-time favorite dip in the Middle East and all around the world, this is the perfect companion to carrot, celery, or cucumber sticks (or any other cruditee you can think of). Check it out: https://beyondzucchini.com/2014/03/01/hummus/